The Dividend Guy Blog

Unconventional Lifestyle and Dividend Growth Strategy

Portfolio Building

My 5 Steps to Choosing the Right ETF

Dividend Growth, Portfolio Building, Stock Selection

As an investor who uses index funds as the core of my portfolio (supplemented with dividend growth stocks), I came to the realization a long time ago that not all ETFs are created equal and some were more appropriate for my portfolios than others were. Although originally I never went into the process of selecting ETFs with a series of steps, I have realized upon reflection that I do actually have a process! Each time I look to fulfill my asset allocation requirements, I use these steps to …

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The Top 6 Things I Learned from The Market Crash of 2008

Portfolio Building

2008 was (still is?) the worst stock market and economic period I have had to live through, and I don't think I am faring that poorly. I still have a good job in a foreign company as an expat, my stock portfolio is not down to zero, I sold out of Citigroup (even if it was too late), and my wife and kids still love me! However, I think that there is a HUGE amount of learning that we can all do as a result of this experience. Let's face it - the old adage that you learn from your mistakes holds …

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Invest When It Feels Like the End of the World

Portfolio Building

I just finished reading a fascinating book that I thought had one very powerful message, given the market that we are in today. The concept of the book is the author's journey around the world via a tricked-out Mercedes Benz as he experiences life and considers investments in some of the most remote and off-the-beaten path countries and their markets. It was his approach to deciding when to invest that I found most interesting! Invest when it feels like it is the end of the world, when …

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Dividends and Your Company Stock

Portfolio Building

Each month I buy shares of my employer through a share purchase plan. This happens automatically for me - the money is contributed on my behalf to the broker and the shares are subsequently purchased. This is a great program as it is money above and beyond my salary and other earnings. It is also an added bonus that my employers stock also pays a dividend. This dividend is not huge, but it still can throw off some good cash flow if I let it. The only problem is that I do not want my company …

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Considering REITs In a Dividend Portfolio

Portfolio Building

In a recent post I described some recent transactions that I did to balance out my asset allocation. My focus is still on dividend stocks, but I strongly believe that investors need to be well diversified and have a properly structured asset allocation to be successful. One of the purchases I made was to buy the Vanguard REIT Exchange. Why I Bought The Fund Prior to the purchase of this ETF, I only had exposure to the Canadian REIT Market. The Canadian REIT market is only a small …

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Did Some Buying To Meet My Asset Allocation Goals

Asset Allocation, Portfolio Building

On Wednesday of this week I did some buying within my portfolio in order to better meet my asset allocation targets (Enhancing My Asset Allocation). Four transactions were completed, each one with a very specific purpose and objective in mind. Transaction #1: Sell Employer Stock Purchase Plan Shares The purpose behind this trade was to reduce my Canadian equity allocation. After this trade the Canadian component is still high by about 8%, however I am more comfortable now than I was. …

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